Y11 2025-26 - Trying not to melt and pushing through the final weeks

[Stowickthevast]

I finished the thread so started a new one. Welcome all Y11 parents, support and solidarity for the next big push here!

Same question but for double. My DCs school only does double. I know they’ll get two GCSE so two GCSE grades, but I’ve never asked how this is worked out.
My DC is less strong in physics. What happens, for example, if they get 75% in biology and chemistry but only 40% in physics?

@jinglejuicing i believe the 6 exam scores are totalled up and that’s it. So a point is a point.

Thanks! I think physics is going to be rejected

@Littletreefroghow is your DS getting on?

Dd is up working. She’s planning a morning of history and an afternoon of biology. 5 exams this week….

Did anyone do music yesterday? DD said it was good and had what she wanted in it. Happy to hear it was a theme not to finish the English paper! DD is more Maths and said OCR higher this week was a beautiful paper 😂

@Littletreefrog sending you and your DS lots of positive vibes

I think you have done the right thing , good luck to DS in his remaining exams x

Dd did finish but didn’t have any checking time! Literally wrote right up to the wire.

Yes music here also. Which exam board? My DD had Twinkle Twinkle as the unheard extract 😂

Thank you for those thinking about DS. It's very hard to know how he is as he internalises everything but he seems ok and the plan is to let him come to terms with the diagnosis whilst attempting to focus on the last exams and then discuss practical steps in terms of support for college etc after exams are over. Hopefully that's the right thing to do but who knows really.

What is everyone doing for their DCs when they finish? For us the end is in sight with just 5 exams left. My DS has earned a big reward for all the hard work he's put in, but that will take planning and likely won't actually happen until next year. So on the 15th, it would be nice to do something lower key to mark the date that we've both been dreaming of these past weeks. Would love to hear what others have planned?

We are planning a meal out the following weekend and a week off for day trips.

We are planning a meal out and im also buying DS a new garmin watch as a surprise, his old one broke at half term.
Our treat to ourselves is that we are going away out of school holidays! 🤣

Ohh very interested in this! Daughter's Year 11 school trip and prom are that week right after exams, so we can't go away straight after exams. Planning some horsey holidays for a few days in Norfolk for her and her friend and then wanted to book something like Centre Parks for them, but it's bloody expensive and she is also planning holidays abroad 🤦‍♀️

We’re going to a nice restaurant on her last day (17th) then her big reward is a four day abroad trip just her and I - after our other family holiday! Then she has Reading too.

Ohh lovely! Where are you going?

We are off to Italy for a few days for a much needed girly break! DH and DS had a holiday over Easter whilst DD was in the depths of revision and I was dealing with all the stress and meltdowns so our little trip is well deserved!

DH is away on the day she finishes and dc2 has another activity so I think we'll go out for dinner the day after. We've also got her a digital camera to say well done, as she's desperate for one and then can use it all summer.

Nothing really planned for the next couple of weeks but I imagine there'll be lots of parties going on as well as prom. Then she's going to Spain with a friend in the last week of June and doing a week's work experience when she gets back. Honestly she'll be having a pretty amazing summer.

WJEC apparently, just had to check. All I know is they had The Sound of Music as one of the extracts!

We’re going on a spa break when I finish for summer holidays (quite early in my Trust) - it was a 16th birthday present, delayed until after exams. It is the only thing keeping me going atm 😆

Ds is going off with his band, they're playing Isle of White festival straight after exams then 1 in Spain then a few few the summer so he'll be busy.
From us ive promised cash so he'll have money to spend through summer.

DS is planning various things - he's not bothered about Reading but I am sure will be visiting various theme parks and other activities and I think there's also talk of a camping trip.

He finishes on 15th June and will celebrate with friends that week - I'm sure we'll manage a celebratory meal out at some point but we can't go away until later in the summer. We're tied to state school term-times because of my work, and DH has commitments that take him through to early August. We will just about manage to squeeze in a week away between DH's deadlines and results day!

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. DS is focusing mainly on science and DT now - he has four exams next week, biology 2/further maths 2/chemistry 2/DT (just one exam for DT due to NEA). Then just physics 2 and further maths 2 the week after. Really does feel like we're on the home strait, I can't wait to clear the revision notes off the dining table!!

We considered an early summer holiday but prom is early July, and after that the prices for holiday lets in Europe were no better than August due to France etc already being on holiday. Actually being in work every day in August wasn't very attractive either!

Our prom is 29th June then we have to wait for dh to get back from the World Cup (!) before we go away mid July

We’re off to Greece for two weeks as soon as other DD finishes at school, at the very start of July. On the 15th itself I don’t think we’ll do anything as work and life just carries on, but that weekend she’s having her hair done at a fancy salon and we’ll then go for a nice lunch to celebrate. Can’t wait.

Off to visit family for nephews first birthday the weekend after the last exam. Then a villa in Europe in the summer holidays. We needed to stick with summer holidays for DS1s job which was a bit of a disappointment but the fact he still wants to come on holiday with us is a blessing so I'm willing to pay the price.